Installation for pickling meats



R E G N U w INSTALLATION FOR PICKLING MEATS Filed Dec 27, 1950 INVENTOR. W/L HELM UYGEB.

R/CHE'Y, WA rrs 50 At& Ms

ATTORNFYS I870 NENNY 3 m1 INSTALLATION FOR PICKLING MEATS Wilhelm Unger, Ansbach, Mittelfranken, Germany Application December 27, 1950, Serial No. 202,931

1 Claim. (Cl. 39-257) The invention relates to an installation for quickly pickling meats such as ham, tongues, fish or the like enabling the injection of the pickling liquid into the circula'tion vessels of the goods to be pickled by means of a hollow needle.

For this purpose a squirting device is used into which a hollow needle may be inserted, said device being provided with a hand operated valve through which the brine is injected into the goods to be preserved generally on a plurality of places and in small quantities. The squirting device is also connected with a store tank by means of a hose pipe. The pressure may be produced either by a pump inserted into the inlet-pipe between the store tank and the squirting device or by a liquid or gaseous pressure medium acting on the brine contained in the store tank.

One object of the invention consists in a measuring device being provided in the pipe line between the store tank and the squirting device allowing to continuously measure the consumed brine. Therefore, it is possible, according to the invention, to supply an exactly dosed quantity of brine to a certain quantity of goods to be pickled so that meats may be rapidly and correctly pickled even by unskilled workers.

Another object of this invention is to provide measuring devices adapted for use with various concentrations of brine.

A further object of the invention consists in using a store tank adapted to be set under pressure by a compressed gas preferably compressed air or alternatively liquid under pressure.

The drawing shows diagrammatically one embodiment of the invention by way of example.

In the drawing 1 designates a store tank holding about 50 litres, which, in consideration of the overpressure amounting to about two atmospheres, consists of machine casting of high quality which, for hygienic reasons, may be enamelled on its inner and outer surface. The tank is provided with feet 2 and a cover 3. The cover may be tightly closed by means of screw bolts 4 tiltably connected to the upper edge of the tank, and corresponding nuts 5 provided with handles, a rubber packing being inserted between the store tank and the cover. For reading of the tank pressure a manometer 6 is provided. The cover is also provided with a relief valve 7 and an air vent cock 8. Further the tank has a series of apertures and stop cocks enabling the optional use of liquid or gas under pressure for supplying the tank pressure. For feeding the compressed air a pipe line 9 is used provided with -a stop cock 10 near the upper edge of the tank. Oompressed water is fed by the pipe line 11 provided with a stop cock 12 near the lower edge of the tank. Besides, the following apertures with stop cocks are provided: a stop cock 13 destined for the connection with an additional device and arranged also near the lower edge of the tank if the installation is actuated with compressed air; a joint part with stop cock 14 for the connection with the additional device and arranged near the upper edge of ice 2 the tank if the installation is actuated with water under pressure; a sight glass 15 with stop cocks 16 on the lower portion of the tank; a drain cock 17 for the brine on the bottom of the tank; a drain cook 18 for the water under pressure also on the bottom of the tank. The stop cocks 12 and 18 are so formed that a rubber bladder 19 provided with a cup nut may be tightly connected with their connection pieces projecting into the interior of the tank.

The store tank and the measuring device are connected with each other by a pressure hose 20.

The mos-t important elements of the measuring device are the following: a glass cylinder 21 within which a piston 22 provided with packing rings may move. The upper and the lower end of the glass cylinder are closed by the metal plates 23 and 24 respectively. A rubber packing may be inserted between the glass and the plates to provide a seal which, for purposes of simplification, has not been shown in the drawings. The said two plates consist preferably of chromed brass, while the piston consists of artificial resin and the packing rings of rubber.

The two bottom plates 23, 24 are rigidly connected with the glass cylinder by three long threaded bolts 25, 26, 27 provided with nuts. The three bolts 25-27 are further screwed on the base plate 28. The bolt 26 is provided with a shiftable sleeve 29 adapted to be adjusted and fixed in any desired position by means of a screw 30. The sleeve 29 carries a bolt 32 adapted to be clamped by a nut 31 and being provided with a scale plate 33. After the nut 31 being released the two side faces of the scale plate may be brought into the desired adjusted position. The two bottom plates 23 and 24 are provided each with a three-way cock 34 and 35 respectively. The two threeway cocks may be adjusted commonly by a connecting rod 36 and actuating handles 37 and are connected with each other as well as with the feeding pipe line 20 by :a dis tributing piece 38. This distributing piece 38 has a fourth joint part for the connection with a pressure pipe line 39 provided with a special squirting apparatus 40. This squirting apparatus is therefore connected immediately with the store tank, the measuring device being excluded. The pressure hose pipes 41 and 42 respectively connect the feeding pipes and outlet pipes of the three-way cocks 34 and 35. A common outlet pipe 43 connects the measu-ring device to the spraying pistol 44. All stop cocks and pipes may be manufactured in a known manner of chromed brass to protect them against corrosion.

In the following the manner of operation of the device will be described when operated by water under pressure and compressed air respectively.

If water under pressure is used the cocks 10, 13 and 16 on the store tank remain closed. The connection pieces of the cocks 12 and 18 projecting into the interior of the tank are firmly connected with the rubber bladder 19 only indicated in the drawing by dotted lines. The cocks 17 and 18 are also closed. After the tank has been filled with brine and closed by its cover the installation may be set to work. The outlet cock 14 and the air vent cock 8 are still closed. Now, the cock 12 may be opened to admit pressure until the manometer *6 shows a certain deflection. By carefully opening the air vent cock 8 the air remained in the tank is caused to escape and said cock is closed as soon as brine escapes. Now, the outlet cook 14 may be opened and the remaining pipe line may be de-aerated. For this purpose the valve in the spraying apparatus 44 is opened and the two chang over cocks 34 and 35 are brought into the one end position. Thereafter the brine flows for example into the chamber above the piston 22 through the pipe lines 20 and 41 the cock 34 and after a critical pressure is reached the piston moves downwardly. The air contained in the chamber below the piston may escape through the cock 35, the pipe line 43, the spraying apparatus 44 and the spraying needle. When the piston has reached its lowermost position the cocks 34 and 35 are changed over by actuating the handles 37. Now the brine flows from the distributing piece 38 through the cock 35 into the chamber below the piston and moves it upwardly. This movement continues until all the air is removed from the upper portion of the cylinder and the pipe lines 42 and 43. In order to fully tie-aerate the portion of the cylinder below the piston the cock-s are changed over once more and the measuring device is inclined for a short time. Then the remaining air may also escape through the cock 35 and the opened spraying apparatus. After a corresponding de-aeration of the pipe line 39 the installation is ready for working.

The working pressure which should amount to about two atmospheres may be regulated by the cock 12 'or in any other suitable way.

Corresponding to the downward or upward movement of the piston 22 the front side or the rear side of the measuring scale is brought into the working position and the sleeve 29 is so adjusted that one edge of the piston 22 may be used as a locating mark. The intervals between two lines of the scale are so calibrated that each such interval corresponds to the quantity of brine required for one kg. meat. it the usual concentration is employed the said quantity would amount to about 0, 08 litre. When chan ing the concentration another scale is applied. i the piston has moved along the full height of the scale the latter may be adjusted. After the piston has reached the lower or upper end of the cylinder the cocks 34 and 35 are changed over and the scale plate is turned through 180". Then the operation may be continued, the reading otc' being now made in the opposite direction.

The store tank is refilled after that the cocks 12 and 14 are closed the Water under pressure is discharged through the cock is. The air vent cock 8 being opened during that time. Now the cover may be opened and new brine added. After the cock 18 having been closed and the tank having been de-aerated the working may be continued as before described. There is no danger that air enters the measuring device and flows into the squirting head. if it is desired to change the squirting heads the cock 14 is suitably closed. Also the cocks 34 and 35 may be brought in an intermediate position so that thepassage of liquid is stopped.

it compressed air is used for actuating the installation the cocks 12, 14 and 18 remain always closed and the rubber bladder 19 may be removed. The cocks 16 on the sight glass or glass gauge are opened and the pipe line 20 is connected with the cock 13. After the tank is filled and the cover closed the installation may be set to work by opening the cocks 1'0 and 13. The de-aeration of the measuring device is made in a similar way as when working with water under pressure. The glass gauge 15 indicates when the stock of brine is exhausted. Then the cock 10 is closed, the tank is dc-aerated through the cock 8 and refilled. Also when working with compressed air or compressed gas no air or gas may enter the squirting head even if the Worker should have taken no notice of the fact that the brine is about to be exhausted since the compressed air would first enter the measuring device from which it may be again removed.

Having thus particularly described the nature of my invention and the manner in which it is to be performed what I claim to have'covered by Letters *Patent is:

Apparatus for injecting brine into meat in pickling operations comprising a pressure vessel for brine, a conduit connected to said vessel to receive brine discharged therefrom, a conduit valve adjacent to the vessel to regulate brine flow through the conduit, brine volume measuring means including a cylinder 'having openings .at its ends for brine flow into and out of the cylinder, a free piston in said cylinder providing an upper chamber and a lower chamber, a first pipe connecting the conduit with the upper chamber through one of said openings, a second pipe connecting the conduit to the lowerchamber through the other of said openings, a first nozzle, a third pipe connecting the first nozzle to the lower chamber through said other opening, a fourth pipe connecting the upper chamber through said one opening with the third pipe at a point spaced from said other opening for delivery of brine from the upper chamber to said first nozzle, a. first three-way valve to regulate brine flow-into and out of the upper chamber, a second three-way valve to regulate brine flow into and out of the lower chamber, a shut-off valve carried by the first nozzle to stop brine flow through the said first nozzle, a second nozzle, .21 bypass pipe connected to said second nozzle and to the conduit at a point between the conduit valve and the cylinder and communicating with said first pipe and second pipe, and a shut-off valve carried by the second nozzle to stop brine flow through said second nozzle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 801,612 Schramm Oct. 10, 1905 939,382 Beard Nov. 9, 1909 1,241,725 Emigh Oct. 2, 1917 1,858,600 Rosberg May 17, 1932 2,553,788 Richardson 'et a1. May 22, 1951 2,571,476 Ofilutt Oct. 16, 1951 2,576,747 Bryant Nov. '27, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 661,360 Germany June 116, 1938 716,771 France Oct. 12, 1931 

